More mature entrepreneurs have all the qualities to set up new firms — or help others to do so

On her 50th birthday, three years ago, Siobhan Quinn had a start-up epiphany. A management consultant, she travelled to the UK on Sunday nights and returned home to Longford on Friday nights. If she waited five more years, Quinn reckoned, she would be “too exhausted to do it at all”.

She set up BallyBoy Design, a maker of luxury tweed capes. Selling direct to consumers online and via consumer craft shows, she has grown the business to the point where she is keen to promote the product in the UK.

She has no fear of knocking on doors. “As a management consultant, you are used to going into companies and helping them establish better ways of doing things,” she said.

In Ireland, the rate of early-stage entrepreneurship among those aged 45-54 stands at 4.6%, below the EU average of 6.6% and far below that of the UK (9.4%) and US